Since he was a child, Martin Nweeia, DMD (DEN ’84), has been fascinated with teeth—from the human variety to the 9-foot spear-shaped tusk that grows out of the head of the narwhal, an Arctic whale.

Screengrab from Florida Atlantic University, YouTube Humans have long been fascinated with narwhal tusks. During the Middle Ages, the long, spiraled teeth — mistaken for unicorn horns — were ...